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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. stem — to come from
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. perch — the fish
  9. club — for dancing
  10. suit — to fit
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. branch — a division
  19. suit — in cards
  20. club — a group
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. suit — clothes
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com